End of the First Week With the Parents

I’m going to start with Sunday, the full moon (yes, I know those first two sentences rhyme. I’m finding it very funny at the moment).

So Sunday I’m running around the house because Ben has a cold. This can’t mean good things for when he turns so I cart him downstairs as soon as midday hits because he’ll start turning soon. When we get to the bottom of the steps, there’s no door, only a long hall way now. So we walked along the hall and notice that the room Ben is usually in is in it’s right place, but there are extra rooms that are bare of any furniture for Miles and Mark.

I’m pretty certain at this point I’m not going to change. I guess I’m weird enough that the town has decided I don’t need an alternate form.

So we get Ben in to his nest, he’s curled up with a lot of blankets and a dragon bowl of the tea that I made. It’s simmering on a small fire pit in the center of the room. Oddly enough, that one change made the whole room warmer and more inviting. Ben had complained before about how the room always seemed bare. I led Mark and Miles down to their cells when they got home and changed. I promised to let them out and in with Ben and myself once they calmed down.

“Marlowe, don’t leave us in here. Especially me. I need people for some reason when I’m in cat form.”

“I promise, Miles. I’ll let you out. Mark too. Just relax and change. I’m gonna go check on the sick dragon and -” I was interrupted by the ringing door bells. “Bugger, that must be his mother. She said she was coming today. His father to follow in a couple of days.”

“Be careful.” Mark said.

“I will.” I patted the hand he had on the window of his cell as I passed by on my way up the stairs.

I made sure the door was locked on my way to the door. Couldn’t be too careful, with his mother in the house.

As I jogged my way down the hall to the front door I fleetingly wished for a smaller castle, but knew it was impossible. We had far too many people coming for the holiday for that to happen. I got to the door and flung it open only to be met with a red-head, a little shorter than I was, with laughing forest-green eyes and smirk.

“Well, it’s good to know my son has excellent taste. Nice hair, Red.”

“You too, Mrs. Solt.”

“Darling call me Mom, you’re practically family from what I hear.” She said as she waved her hand.

I moved back so she could come inside. The temperature outside was dropping fast and I was worried. I took her coat and as I hung it up in the closet, Ben started to roar.

“Fuck me. What was that?” She yelled.

“Your son.” I said as I jogged back to the door. “Leave your cases where they’re at, I’ll show you to your rooms when I’ve finished calming him down.”

I knew she followed me and I couldn’t prevent her from seeing what she was about to see. I just hoped she didn’t faint on me.

“What the hell is my son doing making all that racket?” She asked as she jogged with me down the stairs.

“Well, he’s a dragon. This is Blueville so you’re going to have to get used to that fact. He can’t change what he is,” I stopped when Miles and Mark started making their cries. “That’s Miles, my cousin, and Mark. Mark is a our family friend. They’re a Bobcat and a Wolf, respectively.”

Ben’s mother stopped at the bottom of the stairs at looked up at me. I prayed the woman wouldn’t freak out. I prayed hard. Which is why when she started laughing, I was surprised.

“I’ll be damned. I guess he really did know what he wanted after all.” She smiled.

I smiled at her. I was beginning to like her. “He did. He’s the best Vet I’ve ever seen and a damn good man.”

“He should be. I raised him.”

“His father?”

“Is an ass of epic proportions, but I love him dearly. That’s why I beat it in to his head that five plus years was long enough to be angry his son told him to go to hell when he tried to arrange his life neatly.”

“I thought families were steering away from that practice now?”

“They are, and with good reason. The sons and daughters in the US are not nearly as inclined to go along with parental wishes. It’s easier for a son though. Even a half-breed like Ben.” Ben’s mother spat out the word “half-breed” like there was a bad taste in her mouth and she needed to get rid of it quickly.

I was about to say something else when Ben roared again and started scratching at the door. That’s when Miles and Mark started their noise too. I sighed.

“You might want to stay behind me. They’re going to want to be together, our little pack.” I motioned for her to move behind me as I stepped up to Miles’s door and opened it up. Out stepped a fawn colored bobcat. He sat at my feet and licked his paws. Ben’s mother gasped.

“Oh he’s adorable!” Miles beamed and chirruped at her.

“And being an ass currently. Go sit by the door.” I pointed at Ben’s door. Miles snorted and sauntered over to the door, sitting down neatly and looking like a statue of Bast.

“How’s he being an ass?”

“He’s showing off for you. He knows he’s adorable and he uses it.” I said as I stepped over to Mark’s door and opened it up.

Out stepped a very large, snow-white wolf. Mark licked my hand and walked over to sit by Miles. Together, they made an intimidating pair, but I was too used to it by now to be bothered. On the other hand, Ben’s mother was not.

“Oh. Oh my. He doesn’t look very friendly at all, does he?”

“Don’t worry about him. He’s promised to be nice to you.” Ben scratched at his door and whined. “That would be your son. He wants to see me.”

Mrs. Solt looked highly amused. “Oh? How do you know that?”

“He doesn’t whine for just anyone.” I said as I opened up the door.

Ben immediately reached out and picked me up. Ben’s mother yelped and followed us inside, only to see Ben the Dragon curl up with me in his nest. The other two followed and settled in to the spaces where they felt most comfortable. Ben made happy dragon noises and I scratched his chin.

“Nice to see you too, handsome. Got a kiss for me?” I asked him as he nuzzled my neck.

“He’s rather large.”

“Of course he is, he’s a dragon.” I knew that sentence was rude when I said it and Ben growled at me for it. I flinched. “I’m sorry. I’m not particularly fond of anyone seeing him like this. He doesn’t like it most times. He tolerates it, but doesn’t like it.”

His mother came a little closer. I thought it was brave of her. Ben stretched out his head towards her and bent low. His mother hesitated and then reached out slowly. Ben snorted and made a happy noise when she finally started to pet his nose. I smiled.

“His other self likes you.”

“His ‘other self’?”

I nodded. “Some of the Shapers experience a dual personality shift when they are in their other form. Ben is one, Miles and Mark are not. They have the same personality. Ben’s other half is a little more open and forward. Not by much, because it’s hard to be more open and forward than who he is on a daily basis.” I said that last part with a laugh.

Ben’s mother looked at me. “I think you’ll have to explain my son to me later. He’s different from when he left New York.”

“He’s happier.” I said softly.

She looked at me and nodded. “So his letters tell me.”

I motioned for her to keep talking while I snuck up on Miles. She cooed about how fierce he looked and when she got to Mark, I jumped on Miles and wrestled him in to a pink sweater vest and a pink and blue checked bow tie. When I let him go, He howled with indignation. Ben’s mother cooed at him.

“Oh, what a pretty boy. Aren’t you handsome?” She said to Miles and he came over to sit next to her. He looked very dapper in his new duds.

Ben snorted and came back to me so I could scratch his chin. He nuzzled my midsection and looked up at me. I smiled and nodded. He nodded at me and nudged me towards the door.

I laughed. “Okay, I’ll show your mother around and be back down later to sleep.”

I kissed his nose and took his mother’s arm after she said goodbye. We walked up the stairs to the kitchen to talk.